Despite some early struggles, Florida won the Gasparilla Bowl game, 33-8, against Tulane Friday night.
The win is significant for many reasons. It’s the first bowl win for the Gators under Billy Napier and also the culmination of one of the most up-and-down seasons in Florida football history.
Most fans and pundits wouldn’t believe that Florida could nearly shut out a 9-4 team that made it to a conference championship if asked a month into the season, but Napier managed to turn the program around following the first bye week of the year and it’s been nothing but improvements — save for the Texas game — ever since.
[autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], who set a Gasparilla Bowl record with 305 passing yards, has Florida on the rise, but the defense has improved the most over the past three months. Finishing things off with a goose egg is a poetic way to end the year.
Defense puts on a clinic
Even though Florida played without a good chunk of its starting lineup — due to both transfers and injuries — the defense played with a first-string effort. They limited Tulane to 194 total yards and forced three interceptions in perhaps the most dominant performance of the season.
From big Desmond Watson picking up the Green Wave’s running back for a stop to reserve Alonzo Allen Jr. securing a pick, Ron Roberts proved that he’s the miracle worker on the defensive side of the ball. Florida will be just fine without Austin Armstrong next year.
Tulane averaged 2.6 yards per carry and had under 100 yards passing until a garbage time touchdown drive in the game’s waning minutes; against Florida’s walk-on/reserve unit at that.
A little rust from DJ in the first quarter, but vintage Lagway the rest of the way
Lagway didn’t have his best stuff at the beginning of this one. He threw a pair of first-half interceptions but still managed 190 yards on 14-of-22 passing. The second half was far more fruitful from a scoring standpoint, with Florida going field goal, touchdown, field goal on its first three drives. The Gators punted just once, ending the game with a pair of touchdown drives — the second of which was scored by walk-on running back Anthony Rubio.
Chimere Dike went out with a bang, catching six passes for 96 yards, and several young players performed well behind him. Tight end Tony Livingston hauled in four for 58 yards and a touchdown, and redshirt freshman Aidan Mizell also caught four passes for 50 yards. Both figure to be crucial pieces of Florida’s offense next season.
The future is bright in Gainesville under center, and there are plenty of elite receivers coming in to replenish the losses of Elijhah Badger and Dike.
It’s finally great to be a Florida Gator again
It’s been a long time since Florida Gators fans could proudly boast that the team is back, but a four-game win streak has everyone in college football excited about the program heading into 2025. Billy Napier managed to reel in a top-10 recruiting class, and the coaching staff has proven that it’s capable of getting results without starters.
The Gators haven’t had a winning season since 2020, but that’s all in the past now. For those who hung in there “through all kinds of weather,” this has to feel good.
That’s a wrap for the 2024 Florida football season. Until next year, Gators fans!
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